Event portable toilet and handwash rental

Own a small stock of toilets and handwash stations for local events, with a licensed hauler doing the pumping.

Startup cost$3k to $12k
Monthly revenue$500 to $2.5k
Time needed6+ h/week
First incomeWeeks
  • $3k-12k
  • Side hustle
  • Out and about

Estimates for a small start in the US, not guarantees.

Official data

5,321 US businesses with employees in this field, +8.4% in a year

NAICS 532289 “All other consumer goods rental”. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023.

What it is

You buy a small number of portable toilets and handwash stations, deliver them with a pickup or trailer, and hire a licensed local hauler to service them when needed. You focus on bookings and customers.

Your first three steps

  1. Ask two or three licensed haulers whether they would service your units and what they would charge
  2. Check with your city or county about business license and home or yard storage rules
  3. Buy 6 to 10 units and a couple of handwash stations, then contact event planners and venues near you
Who pays

Wedding hosts, fairs, races, church and school events, farmers markets and small contractors.

How it makes money

A per-event rental fee per unit plus delivery, with handwash stations as an add-on. You pay the hauler for servicing and keep the difference.

Skills that help
  • Organizing and scheduling deliveries
  • Sales and local networking
  • Customer service
  • Basic towing and loading
Watch out for
  • Your servicing partner should hold the waste hauler permit, check their license and insurance
  • General liability insurance and coverage for your units while stored and in transit
  • Check your trailer and tow vehicle requirements and local rules on storing units at home
  • Event rentals are seasonal, with busy weekends and quiet winters in many areas
  • Margins shrink if the hauler's fees rise, so agree prices in writing

Deep research report · US

Everything you need to start: event portable toilet and handwash rental

Researched with live web search for United States: real startup prices, the licences and rules, what others charge, a break-even example, how to find your first customers and a 30-day launch plan. With sources.

  • Startup costs with real prices
  • Licences, registration and rules
  • Pricing: what others charge
  • Break-even example
  • Finding your first customers
  • 30-day launch plan
  • Risks and how to reduce them
Ready in about 2 minutes · one-off payment, tax included

See a full sample report

Questions people ask

How much does it cost to start an event portable toilet rental business?

Startup costs are estimated at typically around $3,000 to $12,000, depending on how many toilets and handwash stations you buy and how you transport them. Agree your hauler's prices in writing, as rising fees can shrink margins.

How much can an event toilet rental business earn?

Monthly revenue is estimated at typically around $500 to $2,500, depending on how many events you book and how many units you rent each time. Event work is seasonal, with busy weekends and quiet winters in many areas.

Do I need a waste hauler permit to rent portable toilets?

Your servicing partner should hold the waste hauler permit, so check their license and insurance. You should also check your own general liability coverage, trailer and tow vehicle requirements, and local rules on storing units at home.

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